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Sunday, August 25, 2013

For the first unit of study in my classroom, I am focusing on social skills. I am doing my best to foster a community of learners that care for each other, feel safe to share ideas and ask questions, and a place that they look forward to arriving to every day.

One of the activities I did last week was with the book, How Full is Your Bucket, by Tom Rath. I was afraid that it might be too young for my 5th graders, but they seemed to really enjoy it. We had a great discussion about the metaphor of the bucket being feelings, and how when it is full we feel great, and when it is low or empty, we feel bad. We talked about how to fill people's buckets, and how that fills our OWN buckets. I presented an on-going project for our class. We are going to fill each other's buckets (while also filling our own!). If someone fills your bucket, you can fill out a slip thanking that person for what they did. If you fill someone else's bucket, you fill out that slip. Both slips are to be placed in the bucket at the front of the room. During Closing Circle, I share the slips with the class. If someone else's bucket was filled, I give them a "You Are a Bucket Filler!" reward slip. I started this on Friday, and it went well. Another teacher filled a student's bucket, so we gave her a "You Are a Bucket Filler!" slip - she loved it! I am excited to see how this next week goes. Below are some pictures of the activity:

Friday, August 23, 2013

Over the summer, I was thinking about Writer's Workshop and how I hated that the organization piece was always lacking in my classrooms. It was hard for me to keep track of where each of my students' were in the writing process, and they would lose papers ALL OF THE TIME! I decided on a new system that I am starting for the first time with my 5th graders.It goes like this:1. Every student will have a Writer's Notebook (black and white composition book labeled with their name and the words, Writer's Notebook. This is also can be decorated in a way that represents the writer.)2. Every student will have a binder with 4 sections.3. The composition book is used for brainstorming different ideas.4. The sections are for drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

I am so excited! Today I get to meet all of my students and their families for the first time. It's our school-wide Meet and Greet! I also set up a new Scholastic account for them and realized I had over 2,000 points - just ordered 24 books for free!!! I put together a little welcome package for the kids at their desks. It is a Owl Welcome Postcard, a smiley pencil and a Scholastic flyer! If they order by Sept 28, we get 100,000 points! I hope someone makes an order.

I plan on introducing myself and letting the kids look around. I hope the room gets them curious about what we will be doing this year, and excited about the possibilities of what we can do together! Wish me luck!!HAPPY LEARNING!

When it is in motion, it can be amazing. Kids are engaged and learning! The teacher can have a small group in the back of the room while others are involved. The trick to this program, (once you have figured out the pieces and parts to it) is getting the class on track. I have to say, behavior management is the biggest piece to making this thing work.I came up with a 10 day program that will help you implement Words Their Way into your classroom. I created this a few years ago and shared it with my network of schools (teachers grades K-5). We ALL were able to successfully begin Words Their Way study into each of our classrooms. The students responded very well to the structure of the day. The Words Their Way is a great resource, and if used correctly, can produce amazing results. My 10 day program is based around having the kids practice how the classroom will run. It includes fun sorts that will allow students to focus more on what they need to be doing rather than how. The learning comes after you get the routine in place. It includes:

1. How to Introduce Word Study into Your Classroom (10 Day Program) 2. A Setup Guide that includes which materials students need to have, questions to think about for classroom management during this time, and ideas for practice sorts to get your students confident in starting this new adventure in the classroom! 3. A sort to model with any age group 4. A practice sort for students of any age group 5. Games SetupBuy through my teacher store here at Teachers Pay Teachers! Leave some feedback and let me know what you think! I would love to hear how you set it up in your classroom!HAPPY LEARNING!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Morning Meeting. This is new for me. I originally thought, Morning Meeting for fifth grade?? If you are over the age of 6, what do you need morning meetings for?? I only considered this a place to analyze the calendar, days of the week, weather, and perhaps a cute note with some grammatical or spelling errors. I never thought of other possibilities.Then that all changed. This summer, I read Teaching Children to Care, by Ruth Charney. It is all about what Responsive Classroom is, and how to implement it SUCCESSFULLY into your classroom. I am not obsessed with the book, but I do like it. There are some really great insights on what I want to do - create a community of learners and lovers (as I call them :)) As I've mentioned before, I want my kids to not only know how to learn, but also treat each other with care and kindness. If not 100% of the time (I know I am dreaming, but every dream needs a dreamer as Harriet Tubman once said, I think) then at the very least 90% of the time. This book helped me see how I can do that, with structure and intention.

I decided that in 5th grade this year, Morning Meetings will be all about reflecting. At the beginning of the year, I will guide that reflection by sharing a quote or interesting fact or just a phrase that catches my heart. This will be the first thing they see and do each morning. It will look like this:

1. Each desk already has their Personal Journal ready and waiting for a thoughtful reflection the moment they walk in.

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2. The easel will be pulled to the front of the room with a statement written. Something like:

No one can make a brand new start. Anyone can start now and make a brand new ending.

(This is what I am using as their first reflection, on the second day of school)

3. Students will begin writing their thoughts, feelings, etc after reading the statement.

4. We will all gather on the carpet in a circle (on their way, they will drop their journals off in a basket at the front of the room.

5. Everyone will pass around the Native American Talking Stick and share.

The journal writing before we discuss is to help the students to get their wheels turning so that they are ready to share when we get to the carpet. They are allowed to "pass" and not share once around the circle. However, by the time the Talking Stick makes its way around to him/her again, a thought(s) must be shared. The statements I choose will be something that pertains to what we are learning, something I think is totally awesome and must share with them, or something that I think they need to talk about for whatever reason. Hope you can use this idea, or some version of it in your classroom! If you already do something like this, I would love to hear what it is!

Monday, August 12, 2013

It's Teacher Week '13! I am linking up with Blog Hoppin' to learn more about teachers' blogs that I follow, and want to participate in the week long project. Each day there is a "linky party" with a "hot teacher topic".Todays's topic:

Meet the Teacher - Miss Julia

1. I just moved to Wilmington, NC to teach at a school I have been wanting to be a part of since my first year of teaching - 8 years ago!! Teaching 5th grade and can't wait to start!!

2. I don't have cable, but rely heavily on Netflix for old sitcoms that I used to watch when I was a kid. I wish they would stream Seinfeld, but it's ok because I have all seasons on DVD.

3. My favorite author is Jerry Spinelli! My favorite book by him is Stargirl!

4. My favorite place to be is on the beach at sunset or sunrise. I don't make it there often enough, but now that I live near the beach once again, hopefully that will change! (that picture was taken in Australia when I was there for a semester of college)

5. My favorite thing about teaching are the deep conversations I can have with kids while they are reflecting on a piece of literature.

6. If I had the money, I would be a full time spa junky. I love massages, facials, and pedicures. I don't really like manicures because I hate not being able to touch anything when it is done.

7. I could hang out in Barnes and Noble for hours on end and not even realize it!

8. I am a little obsessed with clean eating, and also like to try different activities that have me exercising in a fun way. I love TRX!

9. I have a weakness for scratch-off lottery tickets.

10. A few random things: I have a guitar and wish I could really play it, I believe I am a teacher bc the only other job I would really, truly love is to be a musician/singer and I am not nearly as good at that as I am at teaching, I still have dreams about my dog we had when I was a kid - Angel, I secretly wish everything was not as technologically advanced - I like putting grades in a grade book!, I have a bad habit of trying new things and getting bored quickly, the turtle that has been in my classroom since I moved in is starting to grow on me (but I do think he should be set free into the wild bc he really doesn't belong in a tank).

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed meeting me, and I can't wait to read about you!

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Wahoo!! I feel so settled now! I actually got to do some planning and meetings, and felt as if I had a somewhat "normal" day. I am so excited! Everyone is saying how great the kids and parents are!

Today I created a Fontas and Pinnell Reading Comprehension and Fluency assessment so that I can assess them as soon as possible (well after the first week at least!). I also met with 3/4 grade teachers to discuss Social Studies. I am looking forward to implementing all subjects through Reading and Writing. I will have to brush up on my Science though.

Below are pictures of what I have been putting together for the past 8 days. Some ideas are mine, some I found on different blogs, some I found on pintrest, and some are ideas came from professors at college!

Enjoy!!

Communal Supplies! Dull and sharp pencils, tissues, and an owl :)

Writing area. The green owls are labeling a paper holder for lined paper and copy paper. The clipboards have dry erase sheets stuck to the back. I bought them off of Amazon and will be great for review and math facts! They stick right on the back of the clipboards! The box to the left is the Student Writing Portfolios. I plan to keep only published work in there and present it at conferences to highlight their work and improvements.

Keeping track of the Writing Process. Magnets and pizza pans from the Dollar Tree.

Teacher Desk :) I love that I found an owl chest! I still haven't figured out how to incorporate into the classroom with significance, so right now it holds my two currently favorite books: The Lonely Book and Westlandia.

This is the 10 drawer cart I got on sale at Big Lots! I am not sure what it will all be used for, but the last 6 will hold my Fontas and Pinnell books for assessments. I hope to be able to just drag it over (it's on wheels) to the small group table and grab the books as I need them. I will file their results in their Student files that I have behind my desk. This is another great reference for parent conferences.

This is a close up of the left side, front of my desk. While I am working with small groups, students will be working in groups or independently. Without fail, children working without me will have a question. This idea is to eliminate any interruptions. If a student has a question about something, they are to ask 3 other students for the answer or for some help. If they are unsuccessful with that, they are to take a number and bring it back to their desk. When I am finished with my small group, I check this chart. If a number(s) are missing, I go to the students who need it.

This is my small group area. I show you how to make these cool "crate chairs" in this blog post here

My Author Study Board! I am so excited about this. First of all, it has "Fun Facts", a picture of me with Jerry Spinelli, a few of his books in the magazine holder that I mounted with mounting tape, and activities for Stargirl in one folder and activities that would work with any of his books in the other.

The reason I have Jerry Spinelli up as our first author is because (he is my favorite of all time!!) and the children will be reading his autobiography over the summer. We will be reading Stargirl and Maniac Magee in reading groups (very informal to tie in with our Kindness unit that I am starting with), and we will start to see how Jerry's life and the people in his life inspire his stories. In Writing, we will write our own stories and learn how to use our lives to inspire our own stories! Just like Jerry Spinelli does!

This was well worth the $19.99 I spent on Teachers Pay Teachers! Shelley Greyson created this online and it will save me so much hassle in the classroom. It has activities from making things, reading, writing, solving, drawing, and journaling. I will switch out activities every 2 weeks and it will last the whole year! I can't wait to implement it, and see what the kids come up with!

This is the Math area. My manipulatives for Everyday Math haven't arrived yet, but that's what will fill the bins. The green bin on the top is for Holey Cards multiplication and division practice. The mini-blue boxes are for when they need to take counters, etc to their seats. The big black bins are for Base-10 blocks and connectors.

I found these boxes at Michael's for way cheap! I can't help myself now! Every time I see something with owls, I get it - if it isn't too expensive. The materials in front are the first day of school "gifts" for the kids: a pencil, a name tag, and a welcome card!

Classroom library - again! But I finished it and wanted to showcase the chairs and lamp I got off of Craigslist, carpet is from Big Lots and matches perfectly!

This is the Reading Ring. Kids can choose a question from it and answer it with a partner based on the books they are reading at the time.

I set the tables up with 6 around and a centerpiece! I made them with things from the Dollar Tree - again! I hope this makes them feel more at home, since this will be where we will spend most of our time here :)

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

This week has been great! When I think about what I walked into (a bare classroom, literally. I had empty shelves, desks, computers, and a teacher's desk), I can't believe how far I've gotten. Everyone seems impressed, but I am doing what I love, and of course that is going to look amazing. When we are passionate about what we are doing - whether it be our job, families, hobbies, our best always shines through and people will always be impressed.I pretty much have everything together except a few things. I am waiting on some labels and borders in the mail, and I need to finish my Jerry Spinelli author study board. I am going to highlight an author every couple of months so that students can get excited about reading in that way. I started with Jerry Spinelli because our summer reading that I assigned is his autobiography. In our Reading Groups, I am starting with Maniac Magee and Loser. Two perfect books that go hand-in-hand with my first theme: Kindness. I will get more into my first 6-8 weeks in another blog. I am soo excited about it!So, besides Jerry Spinelli board, some labeling and a border I want to replace with one I ordered, my classroom is ready. After I plan, then my materials will be ready, and I will be ready! (Well, as close to ready as we can be for the first day of school).Isn't it great that we will get to have first days of school for many, many years to come? So much to be excited about!Below is a quick tour of my room. In my next post, I will get up closer with the camera and explain some of the things going on in each area. Until then, enjoy....

Before

AFTER

This is the view when you walk in from the front door. There is another "back" door, where I hold my small groups. That door you see in the front of the room to the right is a door to the Middle School LA and Social Studies room. It will be kept closed during the school day. Unfortunately, I can't find a way to hang anything on there. Thumbtacks nor staples will go through, and nothing sticks.

Another view from the front door. That is the small group furthest away, and the library to your right.

This is the library. To the left of it is the Math area.

Tomorrow I hope to finish everything completely. There's so much more I want to do, but if I let myself go, I will never stop! You know what I mean...

Saturday, August 3, 2013

These are actually quite easy to assemble once you have the materials altogether. It may feel like a lot of running from place to place, but trust me, once you have them, you will love them! And so will the kiddos!Materials you will need:- plywood I went to Lowe's and the kind gentleman there measured the crate, cut the wood and then shaved the corners. He also mentioned that he might have done this before... Don't think you have to go into Lowe's knowing the dimensions of what you need cut. They are more than happy to do it, since it is there job :) - Staple Gun $10 at Lowe's, and will surely come in handy again!- Foam Mattress Padding I got this from Target (Back to School sale!)- CratesTarget, Walmart, Big Lots- Fabric - for 6 crates I needed 1 1/2 yards. Joanne Fabrics has great coupons and also gives a 15% teacher discount!

I measured the foam by placing the piece of plywood on the foam and tracing it with a Sharpie. I was able to cut it just fine with regular scissors. I then cut the fabric by placing the foam on the plywood, then placing that on the fabric and measured how much I needed so I could wrap the fabric and staple onto the wood. After that, I was able to drop the finished piece onto the crate, and it holds me!

When I think about setting up my classroom, my goal is to make it a place where the kids:- want to spend their time- look forward to coming each day- feel like their is plenty for them to doand most importantly, could run the classroom without me around. (This will be key for when I am working with small groups or one-on-one with kids). Below are some pictures of what I have done so far.

WRITING

This is my writing area. It has supplies on the shelf and the crate next to the shelf is where the students will keep their final writing pieces. I am creating full portfolios for the kids, but this is specifically for their writing.

To the left is to keep track of where they are in the writing process. I got this great idea from www.creativechalkboard.com blog! It's cheap and effective!

To get the trays to hang on the wall, I used crazy glue on flat thumbtacks and glued to the tray and then stuck to the wall. The labels were oversized library card pockets that I found for 69 cents each. I just snipped off the top, laminated, and labeled them. The mini pencils are decals that I also found at the teacher store. I laminated and will label with each students' name once I get a class list. The pizza trays are from Dollar Tree. I placed a magnet on the back of the mini pencils and the kids can move their pencil as they finish each part of the writing process. This was a great idea that I stole! Thanks so much!

I plan to use Lucy Calkins' Writers Workshop in my classroom to teach writing. For the kids to keep track of their writing and the materials that go along with it, I came up with the idea for a writing binder that is divided into sections. Shown below.

I printed the page, and stuck it in the front of the binder (added the owls because that is the theme of my classroom. I got those from TpT.com for free. Just search owl labels). The labels are; draft, revision, edit, publish. The plan is to have the students complete their brainstorms in a composition book and work on loose-leaf paper for the remainder of the process. They can move the pages from section to section as they move through the writing process. The composition book fits nicely into the pocket of the binder. I am hoping that this will keep things from getting lost.

READING

I kept the classroom library pretty simple. I organized books based only on genre and some are sorted by author. I am using Lucy Calkins' Readers Workshop to teach reading. Inside each book is the scholastic reading level (A-Z). The plan is to assess their reading level the first or second week of school so that they are able to choose a "just right" book. Some of the books I couldn't find levels for, so I put up the reminder of checking with the "5-finger Rule". I want to eventually add a small rug and some comfy seating, but my budget doesn't allow for the right now.

SMALL GROUP LEARNING

Perhaps one of my favorite parts of the classroom. Maybe because I love to meet with kids in small groups or maybe because I made the cute little "chairs" that are around the table. Actually, during my time in Philadelphia, my school couldn't afford to buy me a U-shaped table, and if I want something, I MUST HAVE IT. So, my genius and crafty aunt and I built the table and painted it green. So essentially, I made a set of table and chairs! I searched online at a bunch of different websites so credit can't be given to just one person. However, many teachers and parents are doing this and it is genius! Learn how to make your very own Crate Chair (as I like to call them :)) here. The 4 owls you see are taped to bathroom caddies from Big Lots. I plan to hold the Guided Reading books and materials in there for easy access.

This took me about a week. I only have one week left to get the math area and some other bulletin boards done. I hope it happens in time!!

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About Me

Hello! I am a fifth grade teacher, and I am loving life at my dream job. I have tons of ideas that I am excited to share with other teachers throughout the school year. I hope to connect with each other so we can collaborate via blog!